Bernadette Peters

Born Feb. 28, 1948 in Ozone Park, Queens, NY, Bernadette Lazzara was the daughter of her bread delivery truck driver father, Peter, and a showbiz-savvy mother, Marguerite. (She would later take a form of her father's first name as her stage name.) Thanks to her mother's machinations, the young girl with the powerhouse voice made appearances on several game shows and local children's programming, including "Juvenile Jury" (NBC, 1947-1954; BET, 1983-84; syndicated, 1970-71, 1989-1991). After these first steps, Peters quickly revealed an innate talent for showmanship, notching several impressive professional credits before she was a teenager, including roles in "A Boy Called Ciske" (NBC, 1958) ... Continue Bio >>